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Sunday, February 6, 2011

[AlternativeAnswers] Heart Break: The Realization of Our Greatness

 

Good Morning!

Heart Break: The Realization of Our Greatness

Heartbreak is one of the most trying, difficult and hurtful processes
we can go through. Heart break is not just an emotional state but can
induce real patho-physiologic feelings of pain in the heart. It has
been said that the "most sexual organ is the brain and the organ of
most intelligence is truly the heart". We often think a lot with our
hearts.

Heart Chakra Energy

When the energy of our Heart energy center or Chakra is in balance,
we are compassionate, loving, empathetic, altruistic, peaceful, in
balance and truly have love for ourselves. When the heart is out of
balance in excess conditions, we tend to express issues of co-
dependency, poor boundaries with often demanding, clinging, jealous
and overly sacrificing tendencies.

When the heart is out of balance in deficient conditions, we tend to
become anti-social, withdrawn, critical, judgmental, intolerant of
ourselves and others, lonely, isolated and depressed.

Heartbreak has a tendency to put our lives in perspective. Whether it
is with the breakup of a romantic relationship or lose of a loved
one, we need to take a look with an introspective eye. That is we
need to take a reflective looking inward : an examination of one's
own thoughts and feelings.

Our Belief System

The strength in our heartbreak really depends on the strength of our
belief systems about the relationship. Our mental attitudes and
beliefs set up our perspective and expectations. This in turn dictate
our relationships. With everything. With our self as human beings,
with life, with our friends, family, lovers, business associates. Our
attitudes dictate our relationships with our own emotions, with our
bodies, gender, and sexuality. Even with our concept of God. We
determine in our minds what constitutes success or failure in any
relationship.

"As long as we believe that someone else has the power to make us
happy then we are setting ourselves up to be victims"

It is important to remember that we are steering the ship. No matter
what external situations can happen to you, you have the ability to
take control of "how" you choose to look at this situation that has
been presented to you.

"Who Am I"

You have now been given a rare opportunity to look at yourself. To
observe your true self without any co dependent entities around you.
Now is your chance. Who are 'You'? I will not sit here and tell
you, "It happens, get over it!" No. It is hard. As seekers of light
and love, we take the human traits we formed early in life to use
these traits on our journey. The journey we seek is one of a
Spiritual journey. We seek to better ourselves, to follow our dreams,
to seek out our light that will take us to a higher plain. Depending
on our beliefs we discover along our journey the outside influences
such as people, places, things: such as money, property, and prestige
or external manifestations such as looks, talent and intelligence.
These external dependencies or often, co-dependencies can distract us
and make us feel better temporarily but they cannot address the core
issue - they cannot fulfill our Spiritually journey. They can give us
ego-strength but not self-worth. True self-worth comes from accessing
the eternal Truth within, from remembering the state of Grace that is
our True condition. The real reason we have set out on our journey in
the first place.

We Need To Love

For it is Love and the lose of Love which truly allows us the
greatest steps in our journey as a Spiritual being. The fact, that
you yourself have loved is all that is required.

"Energy Follows Thought"

"With each beat of our heart and every breath that we take, we get a
new opportunity to make a choice as to where we want to direct the
energy of our lives. Every new moment offers a possibility to open a
crack in the door that brings forth the power of the universe. The
ever-present "now" is always offering new opportunities to improve
our lives. As we verbalize and visualize during our prayer meditation
sessions, the now is always turning the present into the past.
Scientists have recently determined that the human brain takes an
average of three seconds to process and transfer information from
reality to memory, to change the present to the past. Each new moment
gives us another chance to reevaluate in the light of the present,
giving us an opportunity to make new choices and decisions as to what
we want to do with our lives. "1

Energy follows thought. Where your thoughts are directed, there is
where your energy will go and manifest. Grieving losses are important
because it allows us to 'free-up' energy that is bound to the person,
object, or experience, so that we might re-invest that energy
elsewhere.

Grief and Grieving

Grief is a normal and natural response to loss. Though we often
expect to grieve the death of a family member or friend, many other
significant losses can also trigger grief.

Examples include:
*The end of a relationship
*A move to a new community
*A much-anticipated opportunity or life goal is suddenly closed to us
*The death of a pet

"Until we grieve effectively we are likely to find reinvesting
difficult; a part of us remains tied to the past. Grieving is not
forgetting. It is not drowning in tears. Healthy grieving results in
an ability to remember the importance of our loss -- but with a new-
found sense of peace, rather than searing pain.",

"Sometimes our reactions are so changeable, intense, or irrational
that we fear we may be going crazy. Often grieving people are afraid
to confront their grief for fear that if they open the door they will
be drowned in a flood of tears or rage. Though this is very unlikely,
allowing others to help us in our grieving is good 'insurance' that
we will keep our balance. No matter what our intense experiences of
grief may be they are temporary. There IS life after heartbreak -- if
we acknowledge and work through our reactions, rather than trying to
stop them." "Fortunately, much of the process of healthy grieving
seems to be 'built into' our genes. Acknowledging and growing from
losses is such a natural process that much of it will happen without
our direction -- if we relax our expectations of how we "should"
grieve and give up some of our need to be in control. But healthy
grieving is an active process; it is NOT true that, "You just need to
give it time." One way of understanding the work to be done is to
think of grieving as a series of tasks we need to complete (not
necessarily in any order).

Tips To Consider:

*To accept the finality of the loss;

*To acknowledge and express the full range of feelings we experience
as a result of the loss;

*To adjust to a life in which the lost person, object, or experience
is absent;

*To 'say good-bye,' to ritualize our movement to a new peace with the
loss. Good friends, family members, or a personal counselor can all
be helpful in doing this vital work. You can also do a good deal to
help yourself.

*"Active, healthy grieving requires balance -- balancing the time you
spend directly working on your grief with the time you spend coping
with your day-to-day life; balancing the amount of time you spend
with others with the time you spend along; balancing seeking help
from others with caring for yourself."

*Go gently -- take whatever time it needs, rather than giving
yourself a deadline for when you should be "over it";

*Expect and accept some reduction in your usual efficiency and
consistency;

*Try to avoid taking on new responsibilities or making major life
decisions for a time;

*Talk regularly about your grief and your memories with someone you
trust;

*Accept help and support when offered;

*Be particularly attentive to maintaining healthy eating and sleeping
patterns;

*Exercise moderately and regularly;

*Keep a journal; Write down your lessons. Healthy grieving will have
much to teach you.

*Read -- there are many helpful books on grief; (see References). If
grief is understood it is easier to handle;

*Plan, and allow yourself to enjoy without guilt, some GOOD TIMES.

*The goal is balance, not martyrdom;

*Carry or wear a linking object -- a keepsake that symbolically
reminds you of your loss.

*Anticipate the time in the future when you no longer need to carry
this reminder and gently let it go;

*Tell those around you what helps you and what doesn't. Most people
would like to help if they knew how;

*Take warm, leisurely baths;

*See a counselor;

*Get a massage regularly;

*Set aside a specific private time daily to remember and experience
whatever feelings arise with the memories;

*Choose your entertainment carefully -- some movies, TV shows, or
books can only over-intensify already strong feelings;

*Join a support group -- there are hundreds of such groups and people
have a wonderful capacity to help each other;

*Plan for 'special days' such as holidays or anniversaries. Feelings
can be particularly intense at these times;

*Pray;

*Take a yoga class;

*Connect on the Internet. There are many resources for people in
grief and heartbreak, as well as opportunities to chat with fellow
grievers;

*Vent your anger in healthy ways, rather than holding it in. A brisk
walk or a game of tennis can help;

*Speak to a member of the clergy;

*Plant yourself in nature;

*Do something to help someone else"

*Find motivating music that will turn you forward and allow you the
strength you need.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac
http://www.peacefulmind.com/love.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit

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[AlternativeAnswers] Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Contribution of Herbal Medicine

 

Good Morning!

This is the beginning of the new lunar calendar. In celebration of
the Chinese New Year, I will be discussing the many wonderful
contributions the Asian cultures have given the world in relation to
alternative medicine.

Celebrating Chinese New Year: The Contribution of Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine is the strongest, natural medicinals on the
planet, due to their unique combinations of herbs in a formula. It is
among these treatment methods which make up the unique qualities of
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Chinese herbs are specifically used to create decoctions or "teas"
and is a very powerful part of healing dis-ease. Herbal decoctions
can also be given in "tea pills", tinctures, granules or as an
external patch, compress or bath. Chinese herbal medicine uses
several hundred substances, mostly of plant origin (roots, seeds,
flowers, twigs, crystals, bones and barks). These are hardly ever
prescribed singly. They are combined into a formula, which usually
contains between 8 and 12 ingredients. It is the "herbal synergy"
that seems to be the strength behind Chinese herbal formulas. The
exact combination is adjusted to suit the patient's individual
condition, and is likely to be altered as the treatment progresses to
take account of changes that have occurred. It is therefore a very
flexible system, which can be closely developed to the needs of the
patient.

For example, Astragalus is a powerful broad-spectrum antiviral herb. It is safe and effective. Conventional western medicine has nothing to combat the vast majority of viruses (they only suppress symptoms), but still doctors will not recommend astragalus because it is plant based. Plant based treatments cannot produce large profits because they cannot be patented. Large profits are needed to pay for the expensive FDA approved clinical trials. So plant based treatments
never get FDA approval to treat a disease. Your doctor can only prescribe treatments that are FDA approved. If your doctor prescribes treatments that are not FDA approved, he or she can be sued or lose their license. However, any state certified herbalist can prescribe astragalus and many other herbs.

The methodology behind an herb's function, indication,
contraindication, preparation and use are numerous. Herbs are
categorized according to their properties, taste, temperature and
their "herbal synergy" is created by using a dominant (chief herb)
with a deputy, assistants and envoy herbs in a combination to produce
a better effect on one particular organ or condition. The chief
herb "rules" the prescription and has the primary effect on the
disease condition. The deputy and assistant herbs help to
synergistically increase the effect of the chief herb, to treat an
illness, as well as, "supervise" the function of other herbs.

Here are ways herbs are used:

*Pills, Capsules, Granules are the most popular form. These are herbs
ground into powder then either rolled into "teapills", put into
capsules or given in granule form. Herbal formulas tend to be created
for a single problem or nest of related problems and their specific
pattern of disharmony.

*Tinctures Herbal remedies are also prescribed in tincture form and
are the previously fresh herb in well preserved, highly concentrated
form. This liquid, as well as, concentrated forms of extracted herbs
are preserved in their freshest form.

*Essence Steam distillation or cold pressing results in herbs as
essential oils.

*Poultice are macerated or chopped herbs that are placed directly on
the skin and a hot, moist bandage is applied.

*Infusions are used when you are working with the most delicate part
of the herb-the leaves flowers, fruits and seeds. Infusion time can
be approximately 3-5 minutes.

*Decoctions are used to extract the tougher part of the herb-bark,
berries and roots. Decoction time can be between 45 minutes to 90
minutes.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac.
http://www.peacefulmind.com/herbology.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit

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[AlternativeAnswers] National Heart Awareness Month: Herbal Preventatives

 

Good Morning!

National Heart Awareness Month: Herbal Preventatives

February is National Heart Awareness Month and throughout the month I
will be posting tips for improving heart health.

Herbal medicine is a wonderful preventative solution. If you are concerned about the health of your heart and you are not on Western medication, you may first want to explore the possibilites available through natural means. Complications can arise when taking herbal medicine and allopathic drugs your doctor has prescribed.

Great caution should be used especially if you are on blood thinners, diuretics or any other heart related medication. Consult your doctor with any questions you may have, before taking additional herbs or supplements.

These herbal supplements must be part of a comprehensive diet, exercise and lifestyle program that supports cardiovascular health.

Blessed Thistle: Strengthens the heart. Also known as "St. Benedict Thistle" and "Holy Thistle", this herb contains B-complex, calcium, iron, manganese and cincin. This herb has been used to tonify the heart, improve circulation and fight plaque.

Capsicum: Blood pressure and health of blood vessels, Capsicum
stimulants circulation, enhances blood flow and is considered to be
food for the circulatory system. Capsicum assists in lowering blood
pressure and breaking down cholesterol buildup.

Cayenne Pepper: is renowned, not only for healing the entire digestive system, and for arthritic pain relief, but also for the heart and circulatory system. It acts as a catalyst and increases the
effectiveness of other herbs when used with them. Cayenne has been
known to stop heart attacks within 30 seconds. Cayenne has a high
source of Vitamins A & C, has the complete B complexes, and is very
rich in organic calcium and potassium, which is one of the reasons it
is good for the heart. Consider the synergy of taking both cayenne
and Hawthorne berry together. Cayenne is also linked to decreases in cholesterol and blood pressure and the general maintenance of a health circulatory system.

Cornsilk: Natural diuretic. Corn silk is used as a tea. the potassium in corn silk helps to offset potassium loss which is caused by increased urination. Compared to other diuretics, corn silk reduces the likelihood of muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat due to a loss of electrolytes by increasing urination.

Garlic: A rich source of potassium, zinc, selenium, vitamin A and
Vitamin C, is commonly used to fight infection, increase circulation
and help prevent cardiovascular disease. Consider eating raw Garlic
every day; since it is a very effective antifungal agent, or use it
in tincture form. Research has shown that garlic is an anti-
cholesterol remedy and is recommended for heart and circulatory
problems. This is a wonderful natural antibiotic and detoxifier which
protects the body against infection by enhancing immune function, as
well.

Ginkgo Biloba: is a known fighter or cerebro-vascular disease. Impaired circulation to the brain, often called a stroke, can cause severe and far-reaching effects on the entire body. Ginkgo has been shown in numerous studies to cause dilation and increase the blood flow in the arteries, capillaries and veins. In addition, they inhibit platelet aggregation, reduce blood clotting and work through antioxidants to protect our vascular walls from free-radical damage.

Goldenseal: Berberine, an active ingredient of goldenseal, can dilate
blood vessels. Therefore, it may prove useful in the treatment of
certain causes of both irregular heartbeat and heart failure. Do not use goldenseal for more that seven days at a time. Seven days off/seven days on.

Gotu Kola: This herb has a positive effect on the circulatory system as it strengthens the heart and helps lower blood pressure. It improves the flow of blood while strengthening the veins and capillaries. It has been used successfully to treat phlebitis, leg cramps, and abnormal tingling of the extremities.

Hawthorn Berry: a member of the rose family, was recognized by physicians in the early 1800s for its ability to treat disorders
related to circulation and respiration (breathing). Considered
a "cardiotonic" herb, the flowers and berries of the hawthorn plant
have been used in traditional medicine to treat irregular heartbeat,
high blood pressure, chest pain, atherosclerosis, and congestive
heart failure. Hawthorn berries contain large amounts of bioflavonoids, which help dilate and strengthen the walls of blood
vessels, relax arteries, and improve circulation of blood to heart
muscles. studies suggest that Hawthorn berry extract improves heart
function and exercise capacity in those with CHF. Participants in
research trials also report significantly improved symptoms (like
reduced shortness of breath and fatigue). Hawthorn extract may even
prove to be as effective as low doses of ACE inhibitors (a leading
class of heart medication) in improving symptoms of congestive heart
failure. Hawthorne must be taken daily to be affective.

Kelp: Helps to clean and maintain the arteries. Some animal studies show kelp may help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. On the other hand, kelp is also high in sodium, which may raise some people's blood pressure. Salt-sensitive individuals with high blood pressure should not consume large amounts of kelp. Others may include the herb in a comprehensive heart-disease prevention program.

Mistletoe: Used as a cardiac tonic to stimulate circulation, reduce
blood pressure and arteriosclerosis and strengthen capillary walls.
Constricts blood vessels and stimulates heart beat. It lessens reflex
irritability and strengthens the heart's beat, as it raises the frequency of a slow pulse.

Motherwort: Improves blood flow circulation and reduces heart blood
pressure and palpitations. The glycosides appear to have a short-term ability to lower blood pressure and reduce blood platelet aggregation. As a cardiac tonic, it is said to reduce heart palpitations. This herb strengthen the heartbeat without increasing the pulse rate as it sedates the coronary arteries. This results in increased circulation to the heart.

Olive Leaf Extract: Naturally support the circulatory and immune
systems. Based on a recent study published in the medical journal, Nutrition,
Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, polyphenols from olive leaf extract, significantly inhibited platelet aggregation in the laboratory. This has important benefits as the antiplatelet effects in olive leaves may offer a degree of protection from thrombosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

Rhodiola: Extracts from the root of rhodiola have been the subject of intensive pharmacological and clinical investigations in Russia and Scandinavia for more than thirty-five years. The results of these studies strongly support the use of Rhodiola as an adaptogen: a substance that normalizes physiology in response to stressors. As such, Rhodiola provides a solid foundation for restoring and
maintaining health. It promotes cognitive and physical performance, supports positive emotional states, immune function and cardiovascular health, and restores balance to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Rosemary: Is considered a heart tonic. Rosemary is also linked to decreases in cholesterol and blood pressure and the general maintenance of a health circulatory system.

Again, I must stress, if you are on any type of Western medication it is important to check with your doctor before starting an herbal supplement regime. Do your research. Weight your facts carefully. Side effects and the combination of certain Western drugs with herbs can be dangerous and deadly.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac
http://www.peacefulmind.com/heart_health.htm
Therapies for healing
mind, body, spirit

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